Former FIFA vice-president, Reynald Temarii of French Polynesia Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Former FIFA vice-president, Reynald Temarii of French Polynesia, has been charged with passive corruption in connection with Qatar's bid to host the 2022 World Cup.
Temarii, who is also a former Oceania Football Confederation president, has dismissed the decision by French prosecutors as a non-event, adding there was no corruption.
Temarii was made to step down from his administration roles in 2010 after an undercover newspaper sting, implicating him and Oceania Football Confederation and FIFA executive, Tonga's Ahongalu Fusimalohi, in an alleged vote-buying scam.
In 2014, further allegations were made against Temarii by Britain's Sunday Times, prompting FIFA to ban him from all football activities for eight years.
Speaking on Tahiti Nui TV, Temarii said the case in France had been laid to rest as there was no corruption, but it appears new investigative judges have taken a different view.
After re-opening the case, the new judges decided to lay charges.
Temarii said nothing untoward ever happened.
